Quest 1, Part 2: [Testers and AIs]
There are no items on the floor. Fuck, this is my smallest problem at the moment.
My sight lay on the ceiling while the white dust is continuously falling to the ground. The slight cracks, the tiny bits of debris both good enough to divert my mind from reality. For me this is more than enough to fulfill my happiness in this life. I need nothing else of craziness anymore. I hear someone saying something, but I just ignore it.
“Princess!”
I don’t care.
“Princess! What’s wrong?” The voice is much louder now, disturbing my peace. I feel concern and uneasiness in it. After a few seconds of dazing the voice manages to break my state.
“Shut up will you! I’m to busy having a mental breakdown!” I shout at him, which makes him step back. I was mean, sorry -someone that shouldn’t even be here-. I’m just a little tired.
I lift my hands in front of me and stare at them. Why am I even here? Who am I? It’s not like I don’t know. I’m the same person who was playing that game before, but… Something is wrong with me. I can’t recall any of my memories. I remember, deep inside, but I can’t recall them. I don’t remember my own face or name, yet if someone called me I would recognise it. It’s like my memories were sealed. Will they come back if I complete the quests?
As I have my eyes on my hands my mind starts to work again. Maybe the [Simulation Speed] change caused some kind of disturbance. I feel that I lost something during that short time, but it came back now.
“This me has to apologize for my behaviour and hope that you can forget this blunder.” I say towards the person next to me. His face makes a confused expression before answering.
“I’m sorry for bothering you, Princess. When I heard the explosion, fearing for your health I rushed in. Could you enlighten me, what happened?”
“Thou didn’t feel what happened during the last hour?”
“I felt a slight mana disturbance, but that’s very common. Have I missed something?”
“What do thou remember before coming here?”
“I was standing by in the front hall, as you commanded. Wha-”
“That will be enough. I thank thee.” Speaking like this is annoying for too long. But I have to test something before that.
[Player Command: Character Change]
As I recite the command in my head, nothing happens. I try again with the [Status], but as expected, nothing happens. The system help does not work. I can’t get his [Info] either. If I remember correctly there is a spell [Appraise], that had no combat utility. Since the system won’t help, I have to try use the magic directly. How much different could it be?
I concentrate magic into my eyes and recreate the image of it as I saw in the game. Yeah, it’s not that hard but I feel that it could be made much better.
When the magic is done, I look at Tronos next to me. As I think to [Appraise] him, some numbers come up inside my mind. INSIDE MY FUCKING MIND. Can you imagine the feel when words and numbers starts to appear inside your mind as if it’s common knowledge? No? It’s confusing as hell. I quickly end the spell, but the numbers are still carved into my mind.
[NPC]
Name: Tronos
Race: High Human
Level: 100
Age: 417
HP: 8100
ST: 6200
MP: 2000
At least he is not broken. The ages concern me, does this mean some of my characters are dead? Only a few of them are of long lived races.
“Tell me what you know about Asura, [The Warmaster].” I order to him.
“If I know correctly the tiger warrior Asura thanks to your blessing lived a long age, but even with that he passed away a few years ago, like the others. If that’s on your mind please don’t be concerned about our wellbeing, we are grateful for your gift. He lived a long and happy life, envied by others. The princess is the one that made this possible, please don’t blame yourself for the inevitable.”
That was a hell of a speech from an AI. It seems they are much more intelligent, maybe even... No, this is a wrong approach. The question is what am I going to do now. In the game there was no damage in the city building but now I clearly made a hole in the ceiling. There is the matter of what the hell I will do with the whole place alone.
“Do something about that hole, and call everyone available to the throne room in an hour. Prepare a list of personnel of all, including occupation and position. Include other information regarding our influence thou see important.”
“I understand Princess. Should I give you an escort?”
“No need”
Still hotheaded I walk towards my room. There are too many things on my mind, I’ll just go crazy if I won’t stop thinking about them. I’ll solve every problem one by one. First, my identity. This is a really bizarre thing. Were my memories erased? No matter how much I force myself I’m unable to understand. Let’s have this important matter as my first question from that goddess. Since I have this quest this means I have no control over the territory at the moment. That is very dangerous to my health.
Stolen story; please report.
Another important matter right now, is my inventory. The items should have dropped on the ground when the system got disabled. Yet, nothing of sort happened. Strange. There is the dimension pocket item, but that can’t hold enough items to do that. My guess is the darkness affinity has some sort of space distortion spell. I can’t use that, but it should be in the lore. I’ll have to stop by the royal library.
There is still one thing that really bothers me. Why did my characters became NPCs? The new generation of AI is incomparable to the old one. It spoke to me like a human. Wait. [Appraise]. I form mana while concentrating on myself.
[Tester]
Name: Aurora Rose Juliet
Titles: Commander, Ruler of Aurora, Ruler of people, Follower of Achlys, Princess, Torturer, Cruel, Avanger, The one who gives hope, Fair Ruler, Saviour of many
Race: Fairy-kin
Level: 2
Age: 625
HP: ~2411
ST: ~1237
MP: ~9082
It seems I’m not an NPC. Good. I almost shit myself for a moment. Most of the information is gone, and the stat is an estimation. Since it’s myself the the numbers should be correct. I was unable to arrange the points, but it seems it’s trying to balance stamina with health manually. It would be bad if I always feel pain from breaking my own bones. I already feel the fatigue. My mana still top priority fortunately.
But what made me level up? I did not kill anything. I hope. It’s probably the fact that I did something that gave me “experience”, like using a spell I never did before. Since there is no class system it’s possible to use anything I’m capable to. If this is true, a jack-of-all-trades [Tester] can become the master-of-all-trades. I don’t want an enemy like that.
I arrive at my rare used bedroom, and slam my body into the bed. This is too much for me but I have to be composed or nothing will change. I can keep thinking and lynching my mind but nothing will come of it. Let’s just rest my mind a few minutes. Or an hour. I’m a princess here so I can do what I want.
Easing my mind, I drift asleep. I have no dreams since I’m mentally too exhausted, but half an hour later I freshly wake from my nap. Stretching a little I adjust my mind to the new body completely. My mind is also much clearer.
Alright, time to… No. I forgot that I’m a princess now. As I think that, I grab the [Bell pull]? I have no idea what it’s name and I’ve never used it before. Well, it’s worth a try.
No so after the bell rang, a maid enters my room from the side-door. It’s too realistic for me.
“Yes, madam?” She asks bowing.
“Bis me would like to enjoy a bath. Make one for me in the second bathroom and have one maid as help. Also, prepare my black linen dress. I leave the ornaments to thee.”
After receiving my order she leaves, seemingly as quickly as possible. I decide to nap a few minutes before heading to the bath.
At the bath a maid is already waiting for me. With her help I undress and enter the lukewarm water. The strong but pleasant incense, warmth and touch of the soap almost makes me relaxed enough to fall asleep again.
For my luck the maid entered with me and helps me clean this body. Still, it feels strange to have someone’s gentle hands wash your skin. Weren’t for my amnesia like state I’d be too flustered, maybe shy to do this. Now, it just feels normal. I even enjoy her warmth and softness, like a massage, making my time very enjoyable.
Losing my temper I warily hug the maid making her blush and bewildered. As she does not dare to escape or just doesn’t mind it, I weakly whisper in her ears.
“Just let me have this little pleasure, before the hell falls on top of me.”
She probably doesn’t understanding the meaning of my words, but compels quietly with a gentle smile.
After I let my heart ease a little, I let the maid go and have her dress me, even whisper that I want her to bath with me every time from now on. Now even my scent is better than any other woman’s in this world. I’m ready to accept whatever they will throw at me from now on. The only thing I currently have is charisma, respect and a few loyal followers whom I have to satisfy.
In one of my favorite dress that I traded from the unbeatable [Dragon God] I walk towards my destination. Filled with anxiety, but put every unnecessary thoughts away, wearing graceful face as water flowing in mountains and emitting my [Aura of the Ruler], I enter the [Throne room].